# Install acme.sh with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix, pacman ACME client. Version 3.1.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-26. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:acme.sh ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install acme.sh ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add acme.sh ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: acme.sh from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install acme.sh ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: acme.sh from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#acme-sh ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ac/acme-sh/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S acme.sh ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: acme.sh from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:acme.sh - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 3.1.3 - **Source summary:** ACME client - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-only - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-05-26T23:37:47-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - acme.sh (cli) - acme.sh (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on all ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 3.1.3 - Package-manager updated: 2026-05-26 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh - Upstream latest detected: 3.1.3 (current) ## Project history and usage acme.sh is a pure Unix shell ACME client for issuing, renewing, and installing TLS certificates. It is designed around a small shell script, broad Unix compatibility, no Python dependency, and automated renewals through cron. ### Project history The GitHub repository was created in December 2015, shortly after Let's Encrypt made ACME-based certificate automation a practical mainstream workflow. The official README describes acme.sh as a full ACME protocol implementation written in Unix shell and tested across Linux, BSDs, macOS, Solaris-family systems, Haiku, and Windows via Cygwin. The project grew from a Let's Encrypt-oriented client into a general ACME client. Its README lists support for multiple CAs including ZeroSSL, Let's Encrypt, SSL.com, Google Public CA, Actalis, Pebble, and any RFC 8555-compliant CA, while the wiki documents the large DNS API surface used for automated DNS-01 validation. ### Adoption history acme.sh became a popular package-manager ACME client because it fits shared hosting, appliances, routers, and small servers where a shell-only dependency profile matters. The official README's 'Who Uses acme.sh?' section names deployments and integrations such as FreeBSD.org, Proxmox, pfSense/OPNsense-adjacent tooling, and other hosting/control-panel environments. The input package-manager facts show acme.sh packaged across Homebrew, Alpine, Debian, Nix, and Arch. The GitHub API reports a large public repository with tens of thousands of stars and thousands of forks, consistent with broad operational adoption. ### How it is used Typical package usage installs the acme.sh command, stores working state under ~/.acme.sh by default, creates a cron renewal job, and issues certificates with webroot, standalone, TLS-ALPN, Apache, Nginx, DNS, DNS alias, stateless, or DNS persist modes. DNS API credentials are exported once and then saved into ~/.acme.sh/account.conf for later renewal runs. ### Why package nerds care acme.sh matters to package nerds because it is a rare security-critical tool whose portability comes from plain POSIX-ish shell rather than a language runtime. That makes it attractive for Homebrew, distro, appliance, and container packaging, while its large dnsapi collection creates a sprawling map of DNS provider integrations in one scriptable package. ### Timeline - 2015-12-26: GitHub repository created. - 2016-04-06: Earliest GitHub release metadata in the current repository lists version 1.2.2. - 2016-07-02: Version 2.3.0 tag commit appears in the repository tag history. - 2024: 3.0.x releases continue regular bug-fix and integration work. - 2026-04-28: Release 3.1.3 published. ### Related projects - Related projects include Let's Encrypt, ZeroSSL, Certbot, Pebble, RFC 8555 ACME servers, and the DNS provider APIs supported by acme.sh's dnsapi wiki. ### Sources - Official README, official wiki, official dnsapi wiki page, GitHub repository/release metadata, and source_facts.package-manager. ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: ~/.acme.sh/ ## Credential files - Unix: ~/.acme.sh/account.conf ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** acme.sh - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - acme.sh - 3.1.1-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: acme.sh from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Pure unix shell script implementing ACME client protocol | https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh - Nix - acme-sh: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ac/acme-sh/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - apk - acme.sh - 3.1.3-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: acme.sh from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | ACME Shell script, an acme client alternative to certbot | https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh - pacman - acme.sh - 3.1.3-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: acme.sh from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | An ACME Shell script, an acme client alternative to certbot | https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [certbot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/certbot/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: acme, certificates, cli, letsencrypt, security. - [lego](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lego/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: acme, certificates, cli, letsencrypt, security. - [showcert](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/showcert/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificates, cli, letsencrypt, security. - [certgraph](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/certgraph/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificates, cli, security. - [certigo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/certigo/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificates, cli, security. - [certstrap](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/certstrap/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificates, cli, security. - [crip](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/crip/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificates, cli, security. - [gimmecert](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gimmecert/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificates, cli, security. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/acme.sh.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/acme.sh.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph